1.

Groom taking wedding pictures on the beach rescues drowning man

Cindy and Zac Edwards of Orange Beach, Alabama, were taking their first photos as husband and wife when they were interrupted by a woman who frantically told them there was a young man struggling in the water. The surf was strong and first responders were rescuing someone else, so Cindy Edwards urged her husband, a former lifeguard, to help. He jumped into the fierce waves and pulled the struggling teenager to shore. The couple said they've spoken with the teen's family, who said while he's a little sore, he's feeling better and made it to the first day of school. "It's a story to tell," Zac Edwards said. Cindy Edwards is proud of her groom, telling Fox 10 he became a "hero and hubby in the same day."
[Fox 10]

2.

When he saw an advertisement for a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card being sold at auction with an estimated value of $3.5 million, he was sure this was a typo. The man, who asked to be identified by his first name, John, told The Associated Press he collected baseball cards as a kid, and after seeing the ad, was inspired to look through his own collection. His mother had combined his cards with his older brother's, and it turns out that together, they had five Mantle Topps cards from 1952. When John found out the Mantle card in the ad sold for $2.88 million, he asked Heritage Auctions to look at his own collection. One card was in excellent condition and valued at a whopping $1 million, and is now up for auction.
[The Associated Press]

3.

If his students ask what he did on his summer vacation, Bryce Carlson will have quite the story. Carlson, 37, is a high school science teacher from Cincinnati, Ohio. In late June, he set off on his own from St. John's, Newfoundland, in his 20-foot boat, Lucille, and on Saturday — 38 days, 6 hours, and 49 minutes later — he arrived at St. Mary's in the Isles of Scilly. Carlson rowed more than 2,000 miles from Canada to England, and encountered high waves and the tail end of a hurricane. It was all worth it, though, as the Ocean Rowing Society says he set a record for a solo west-to-east crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, smashing the previous record of 53 days, 8 hours, and 26 minutes. Not only that, but he also is the first American to complete the journey.
[The New York Times]

4.

This rescue dog celebrated her birthday with a quinceañera

Lupita Conchita is "almost 15 in dog years," and to celebrate, her owner threw her a lavish quinceañera. Miranda Sanchez rescued the Chihuahua when she was just two weeks old, likely after suffering from abuse. "I knew I had to take her in," she told Today Pets. A quinceañera is a traditional celebration for girls when they turn 15, and for Lupita's, Sanchez decorated her grandmother's Corpus Christi, Texas, backyard with streamers, glitter, and twinkling lights. The guest list included 20 friends and relatives and seven dogs. "Lupita was in hog heaven," Sanchez said. There was a personal cake for Lupita, plus catered barbecue, "because Lupita loves ribs," Sanchez said, and each pup got a goody bag on their way out.
[Today Pets]

5.

Florist welcomes teachers back to school with 150 freshly donated bouquets

Some teachers may be dreading the first day of school, but one florist wants to make it a little bit brighter. Sandi Williams, who owns a flower shop called April's Rose Garden in Walnut Grove, Georgia, delivered 150 bouquets to her local elementary school on Tuesday. That's one arrangement for every teacher and staffer at Walnut Grove Elementary to welcome them into a new school year. Williams worked for days to prepare the arrangements, inspiring her co-workers to tell the local news station about her act of kindness. Walnut Grove was sure to thank Williams for her "thoughtful and encouraging" gift.
[WSBTV, The Good News Network]